Doll Is Mine
by Bordello Barbie
Summary: It is not required for one to have Toulon blood running within their veins to earn the devotion of those unique "heirlooms". Nonetheless when it comes to being The Master of these puppets, one gets what one gives.
1. Chapter 1

Doll is Mine

**Here is my attempt at a half-decent Puppet Master story. I do not own anything that sounds familar, character/landmark/otherwise. Due to my own ignorance in some aspects, I've woven my own ideas on certain characters and whatnot. If I made any obvious mistakes, by all means let me know. I want this to be enjoyed by readers and myself both.  
Remember, this is fiction. I do not claim this to be truth in any way, shape, or form.  
But alas, I certainly wish the puppets were real.  
Thank you, and happy reading!**

A loud creaking and muffled cursing followed the opening of the front door. One clumsy hand kept a tight hold on the doorknob while the other felt around the wall until the switch was found and flicked into the on position. The receeded bulbs in the ceiling filled the entryway with calm lighting, but it was still too bright for the blood-shot eyes of the individual coming home at 3:45am. The girl squinted and groaned softly as she shut and locked the door behind her. She came home later than she'd promised, yet again, and knew she'd receive another guilt trip for it.

While nothing else seemed to be consistent in Rajiya's life, she knew she could always rely on her roommates' unceasing worry. It was nice, in a way, to have friends who cared.

After setting her oversized Chanel purse on the table in the entryway, the 22 year old Indian girl made her way to her living room, her heels clicking loudly on the granite floors of the vast apartment until she came to a stop and slumped onto the white leather couch. Rajiya kicked off her Gucci's and let out a loud sigh as she closed her eyes.

The rustling on the built-in bookshelf on the other side of the room didn't alarm her, let alone cause her to open her eyes. Neither did the scuffling of many sets of tiny feet as they approached her. Its when they stopped in front of her that she cracked open only one of her light grey eyes and gazed down at the small forms before her.

"I know, I know," Rajiya said lowly, in the same tone one might use when being lectured by a parent. "It's late. My bad." The harder than usual tapping on her right shin made her sit up and lean forward, wrapping her tan arms around her knees and coming to the level of aforementioned roommates.

Looking at her, disapprovingly, were four puppets. String-less, walking, living puppets. Living puppets whom cared not for their mistress' sarcastic, half-assed apology.

The one who'd rapped on Rajiya's calf was completely monochromatic in his appearance; skeletal face and long hair bright white, his fedora, trenchcoat, and tiny boots deep black. He was hand-less, posessing a sharp silver hook on the end of his left arm and an equally sharp blade on the end of his right. Appropriately, his name was Blade.

Beside Blade was the tallest puppet of the four, standing at about 2 feet high; the very stereotype of a cowboy from the Wild West days. A broad grin was permanently spread across his face. However, this cowboy had six arms extending from his torso with a holstered gun for each; earning his namesake of Six Shooter.

A burly puppet stood aside from the rest, clad in a maroon sweater, dark pants, and black fingerless gloves covering his large hands. The only thing disproportionate to his strong physique was his head; tiny compared to the rest of him and scarcely visible at a passing glance. Pinhead was quiet and gentle, but not one to be underestimated.

The smallest puppet, who was the only (seemingly) unarmed one, was named exactly for what he was: a Jester. His small wooden body was encased in a multicolored velvet suit, and atop his head was a matching hat with bells on the three ends. His face was divided into three seperate parts which allowed him to change his expressions to suit his mood. Currently, it began spinning rapidly before settling for a downtrodden appearance.

Rajiya was exhausted, but managed to give her small companions a weary smile as she gathered her naturally dark burgundy hair and brought it over her right shoulder. Jester came closer and touched one of her loose curls, letting out a soft noise; sadness. His face spun to a happy expression when she joined him and the other puppets on the floor. She sat with her long legs stretched out and crossed them at her ankles, allowing the four figures to amble about and onto her as she leaned her back against the couch.

"I really am sorry for keeping you guys awake and fretting over me," Rajiya said sincerely this time, rubbing one of Jester's little hands between her thumb and index finger. She yawned loudly and craned her neck from side to side. "This client was a damn chatterbox. Thank you," she added when Six Shooter retrieved the cobalt afghan throw blanket off the ottoman nearby and climbed the couch to place it over her shoulders. Pinhead picked up her high heels and was taking them to the appropriate hallway closet to be dealt with later. This was the typical way their Friday evenings/very early Saturday mornings were spent, and they'd grown accustomed to it.

Blade, however, wasn't about to let Rajiya off as easily as the others. He hissed lowly at his mistress, small bullets protruding from his otherwise empty sockets. As the leader of the Toulon puppets, he'd always felt an obligation to not only be the 'voice of reason' as it were, but to also keep the best interests of the Master in mind and at top priority. This was the way things had been for decades, and in Blade's opinion there was no reason to change that.

"Stop giving me that look," Rajiya gently chastised the gothic puppet, situating herself into better comfort. "We go through this every weekend, and despite your incessant worry, I come home intact and safe every night." Blade hissed again, louder this time, and she rolled her eyes and smiled again. "Okay, _morning_. It's tough but it's worth it, don't you think? Isn't this place much better than that dump in Chinatown we were holed up in?"

Blade couldn't argue that. Their life at The Infinity Condominiums definitely beat the studio that they'd all previously inhabited over a shabby restaurant. It was quieter, luxurious, and more secure amongst many other amenities. Rajiya and the puppets had their cramped studio broken into on a near weekly basis in Chinatown. It'd gotten to the point where she'd have to take them with her to work sometimes, and although she indulged in the biggest handbags she could find, it got stuffy with three other occupants. That, and everything else about the situation with her work was awkward to begin with. The view of the Bay Bridge, Pacific Ocean and San Francisco skyline from the 36th floor condo at least gave the puppets something to look at and somewhat entertain themselves with while they waited for their mistress to come home at ungodly hours of the night.

Deciding not to press further (it never worked, anyways), Blade sat himself beside Rajiya and gazed out the large windows that made up the entire side wall with her, Jester, and Six Shooter. The city lights surrounded them and the familiar glow put her to sleep almost instantaneously.

Pinhead returned after freeing himself from a small avalanche of other assorted designer shoes and peacoats that'd occurred in the hallway closet. The Mistress was dozing quietly with Jester on her lap and Blade giving off an aura of displeasure. As usual.

_"What's the problem, Sir?"_ Pinhead asked his leader as he joined Six Shooter on the couch.

_"Ohh, you know. The saaaame thing,"_ Jester answered when Blade did not. _"He's mad at Raj."_

_"She was right, ya know,"_ Six Shooter added, fluffing a white throw pillow and laying against it. _"She's always come home to us safely."_

_"Until one night, she doesn't come home at all,"_ Blade finally said to his commrades, irritation biting off the ends of his words. _"Raj does not need to be doing this, let alone without us."_

_"I agree,"_ Pinhead replied, claiming a pillow of his own. _"But we cannot force her to do anything, with or without us."_

_"Her father wanted her to have the best, and taught her to work for it,"_ Jester put in, although unsure himself.

_"He's probably rolling in his damn grave over this,"_ Blade shot back. _"His daughter; the High Cost Escort."_

Nobody had anything else to say, because they too were unhappy with the way Rajiya (Raj, as they and everyone else close to her called her), made her living. Devoting her time and companionship to wealthy men, whether they be simply lonely or creeps with heaps of money they didn't deserve, was frowned upon by most of the population. The puppets' own devotion of time and companionship was solely to her and was for her protection, and the thought of their young Mistress being arm candy for some asshole suit with an ego to satisfy was not something they approved of, either.

But, as Pinhead had pointed out, it was not their decision. Only rarely had Raj taken the puppets with her; a mere total of 3 times in the past 2 years. Each time they were forced to stay in her purse, silent and immobile, and were usually left in the limo or town car on the rear floorboard. Raj deemed it pointless after the third time, simply because even if something had gone wrong the puppets wouldn't be in her vicinity and able to help. She felt badly and just left them at home from that point on, pacifying them with promises of "not staying out too late" and "not going out **every** night", and the like.

Raj was yet to keep any such promises. The puppets forgave her again and again; she was only human afterall. They too were once flawed mortals, but their purpose was engrained deeply in them and thus their discomfort with her "profession" did not waver.

Things had not always been this way. When Raj was a child and her father was alive, things had been far simpler and happier for everyone involved.


	2. Chapter 2

**I own nothing. Nothing rad, that is. Disclaimer over.**

Jeremiah Toulon was a kind and generous soul. He was one of those people one could definitely say made a positive impact on the world and the lives of those around him.

His childhood, spent with his parents and older brother Robert, was filled with laughter, love, and support. The two siblings' closeness was not only in their meager 18 month age difference; it was in nearly every aspect of their lives. They both were handsome boys with dark hair and light eyes. They'd played, cried, fought off bullies, and got into mischief together as a unit. Even when the Toulons had moved into a larger home and they had an opportunity to have their own bedrooms, Robert and Jeremiah had insisted on sharing a room all the way until high school.

The two brothers were gifted with a mother and father who showered them with enthusiasm and support in their passions. They'd unwittingly influenced the boys when they later showed interest in their chosen professional fields; after all, Diedre was a nurse and Thomas owned and operated a very successful antique shop. As they got older, Jeremiah spent his free time divulging in Diedre's medical books from nursing school while Robert spent many a late night with Thomas in the guest house on their property tinkering with various gadgets, toys, puppets, et-cetera.

This did not sway the brothers' connection to one another. They'd shared their newfound knowledge with each other daily, overjoyed to find the subtle similarities between the medical field and doll-making. For example, Jeremiah shared his anatomy catalogues with Robert, who used the information found within them to perfect his craft.

But as the saying goes, "Life is what happens when you have other plans". The Toulon boys grew up and eventually the time came for them to embark on their own paths. After working feverishly all through high school, Jeremiah rightfully earned scholarships to attend Harvard University in Boston. He was set to move away to pursue his dream of becoming a Pediatric Physician as soon as he graduated. Robert had become quite comfortable working with Thomas in the family antique shop and had no intention of going anywhere. Besides, he had fallen in love and had a fiance at that point. When the time came, Jeremiah's departure to Massachusetts was tear-soaked but supported fully by his parents and his dear older brother.

Halfway through his studies, he recieved word from Robert that he and his wife had a beautiful daughter they'd named Alexandra. Jeremiah was regretful that he was unable to attend their wedding, let alone the birth of his niece. His holiday breaks were spent at his desk in his dorm with stacks of books, reports, and charts. He'd often fallen asleep slumped over the mentioned items. It all became worth it when he finally graduated in 1989 and his family, all additions included, attended the ceremony. Alexandra was indeed the joyful and affectionate child Robert had always described her as. It made Jeremiah all the more proud that he majored in Pediatric Oncology; he wanted every child to smile and laugh as much as she did. No matter how sick, healthy, poor, or rich they were.

After bidding another farewell to his loved ones, Jeremiah went overseas to Bhiwadi, India to serve his internship at a Children's Ward. He was fascinated by the beauty of the Middle East, which he described elequintly to Robert in his letters and bi-monthly phone calls. However, as his time at the ward wore on, Jeremiah got to see the impoverished side of the densely populated country as well. It took far longer than he'd expected to get accustomed to the heartbreak of losing young patients of varying ages on virtually a daily basis. Not just to cancer, but to malnutrition and dozens of other diseases. More often than not it was a result of help not being there soon or long enough. Jeremiah kept his composure in front of his fellow physicians but when he returned to his rented home late at night to get 3-5 hours of sleep before starting the next day, he'd vent his frustrations and sorrows in crying to himself and writing in his journal or to his brother. He'd always return the next morning to face whatever India had to throw at him.

One day though, during one particularly rainy and cold spell during the country's winter, something happened that changed his life forever. After yet another grueling day, Jeremiah was waiting outside in front of the clinic waiting for a taxi to pick him up and take him home. He'd forgotten his damned umbrella that morning and was soaked, as the wind blew the torrents of rain in nearly all directions. Seeking shelter under the awning proved futile, and the low visibility made it seemingly impossible for the taxi drivers to see the young doctor waving them down clad in his dark grey trenchcoat.

"Oh, to hell with this," Jeremiah cursed, clutching his briefcase tighter to his body as he turned west after deciding to just walk the 7 blocks home. As the wind whipped the cold needles of water into his face, he realized that an umbrella wouldn't have done him any good anyways, it would've been torn from his hands and in Mumbai before he even got to his street. Smiling slighty at his sarcastic sidethought, Jeremiah quickened his pace, eager to shower and brew some of that loose-leaf Darjeeling tea waiting for him in the canister on the kitchen counter. He rounded the familiar corner that meant his house would've been in sight if the weather wasn't so poor, when-

*SLAM*

-He collided with something small that seemed to be going as fast as he was. Jeremiah found himself knocked down onto his behind, letting out a hiss between his teeth at the shock.

"What the hell-?" he said loudly, quickly wiping rain out of his eyes and thankful he managed to keep a tight hold on his briefcase in the tumble. When he regained his vision he found himself eye level with not a thing, but a very young girl. She couldn't have been anymore than 4. She was wearing only a bright pink kurti, no shoes and not a stitch to cover her head, let alone the rest of her, from the elements. The girl's lip was trembling and she fixated her extremely light grey eyes on Jeremiah, who softened instantly at seeing it was only a mere child who'd run into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart," he said gently, rising to his feet and shielding his eyes from the rain with his left hand. "Are you all right?"

The girl sniffled, her eyes glassy and her dark hair was plastered against her light bronze colored face. She shook her head and shivered in the cold.

"No mama! No papa!" she exclaimed, getting closer to Jeremiah to hide from the water and clutching onto his trenchcoat. He heard this expression everyday from children in the streets, but they usually added, "Need money!" to the end of their spiel. This one did not. She instead broke out into loud wails and said again, "No mama! No papa!"

Jeremiah put his free hand on her damp head and moved himself so his body blocked the rain, which the wind was sending from the east. He narrowed his eyes, looking around for any individuals who might appear to be parents looking for a lost child in the storm. But the people who passed scarcely looked at the doctor, let alone the little girl with him. This proceeded for nearly 10 minutes while she sniveled and shook beside him.

He considered taking her back to the clinic so the night shift doctors could tend to her. But that was quite a walk in the opposite direction, and the storm was getting worse. After deliberating with himself for several more moments, Jeremiah opened his arm and motioned for the little girl to climb onto his side. She did so with no hesitation and hid her face in his neck as he nearly ran the rest of the way to his house.

Once inside he grabbed the comforter off of his bed and wrapped it around her. She shuffled over to the fireplace and sat down on one of the overstuffed pillows in front of it while Jeremiah quickly made a fire. He emptied his linen closet and dialed the hospital's number on his cordless phone.

"May I speak to Doctor Erikson, please?" he asked the receptionist as he towel-dried the girl's hair with the phone held to his ear by his shoulder. The child giggled and squirmed, seeming to come to life the warmer she got.

"Doctor Erikson speaking," came an answer finally.

"Erikson, it's Toulon," Jeremiah said to the other doctor, who was a friend of his from Harvard. "I kind of have an emergency."

"And you didn't bring it here...why?" Erikson questioned.

"I guess it's more of a social-slash-moral dilema," Jeremiah replied. "On my walk home I've accumulated a child."

It was silent for a moment. "Uhhhh, how so?"

"I think she's an orphan. She says she has no parents and from the looks of her, it's true. No coat, no hat, not even shoes. Her feet are calloused and she's only about 4 years old."

"Wow," Erikson said slowly. "So you took her home?"

"I wasn't about to leave her out there in the middle of this shit storm at 11 o'clock at night," Jeremiah said, sighing as he set aside the now wet towel and watching the girl warm her hands in front of the flames. Her eyelids drooped and her half smile was one of contentment.

"Well, certainly not," his friend laughed. "I guess just bring her in tomorrow morning and we'll contact the police and check any missing persons reports and touch base with the local orphanages." Jeremiah nodded at this.

"All right, I'll see you then." He hung up the phone and set it on the end table to his left. Before he could even fully turn back around, the little girl wormed her way onto his crossed legs, comforter and all, and snuggled into his chest. She graced him with another smile which immediately took hold of his heartstrings and not only tugged, but yanked them. Jeremiah smiled back as she closed those big, trusting extraordinary eyes and began lull into sleep.

After he was sure she was deep in R.E.M., Jeremiah took the bundled girl and placed her on the couch near the fireplace before going to his room. He showered in record time and after getting dressed, checking on his houseguest, and putting the tea kettle on to boil, he got a knife from the kitchen and cut open the tape sealing a box that sat on the dining room table. It was a package he'd planned on mailing to Robert and Alexandra next week when he had a day off to go to the post office. Inside was various souveniers, one being a lovely and ornate turqoise colored salwar kameez he'd bought for his niece. Alexandra herself was almost 4 years old; Jeremiah figured she wouldn't mind the garment being given to a less fortunate child. He'd simply buy her another one when he made it to market again.

The loud shriek of the tea kettle woke the little girl up. She stirred within the comforter, and Jeremiah let out a hushed "Shit!" as he dashed over and pulled it from the burner, silencing it. He froze in a ridiculous stance, on one foot holding up a kettle higher than necessary and his eyes wide in alarm; hoping he hadn't disturbed her too much. She merely poked her head out of her nest of blanketing, giggled at his appearance then burrowed back into the vast fabric. Jeremiah untensed and laughed softy at himself as he added the steaming water to the mug containing the long-awaited Darjeeling tea leaves.

Taking a seat in the armchair opposite of the couch, he sipped his tea and gazed gently at the small mass inside the comforter. Jeremiah didn't know what to expect when he took the young child with him to work in the morning. He didn't know whether she was a runaway, had fled from captors of some sort, or was just another slum snipe.

Jeremiah Toulon did know, however, he'd do anything to make this child happy and healthy. He made up his mind right then and there to not leave India until he was certain she was safe and loved. He did not know then that it would end up being himself who would take on that responsibility. But he had the tiniest inkling of that, unable to pinpoint how exactly he'd become so paternal within a matter of hours.

After bringing her into the hospital with him the next morning as expected, Dr. Erikson (whose first name was Ryan) did the mentioned sweep of orphanages with the police after the child matched no Missing Persons reports. The authorities spoke Hindi and English both, naturally, but the girl wouldn't have anything to do with them unless Jeremiah was present. After her initial wellness check done by both Toulon and Erikson, it was determined she was about 3 and a half years old. Both doctors stood by while the girl conversed with the two police officers there in Hindi. After a conversation of about 10 minutes long, on the the officers turned to Jeremiah and Ryan and sighed.

"From what I can gather based on what she has told us, she and her parents had always been homeless, living in one of the slums outside of Mumbai. They supposedly came here and dropped her off and told her to find a 'new mother and father'." He cast a glance at the child before continuing. "She's been abandoned, in other words. Was running around with some of the feral children around here for about a month before losing them in the storm last night. She can be taken to an orphanage, if you'd like, where she can be conditioned and have the chance to find a prospectful family."

Ryan nodded, casting a sideways glance at Jeremiah who was looking at the toddler with his brow furrowed.

"What are you thinking, Toulon?" he inquired.

"I would like to adopt her," Jeremiah said plainly. Ryan and the two policemen appeared startled. "What? Am I not allowed to? Is there some kind of 'No Cutting In Line' policy in the adoption process?"

"Well, I suppose not," the other officer said. "But there are the legal proceedings to be set in motion before you can officially claim her."

"I feel that I exceed the prerequisites," Jeremiah stated. It was silent for several moments before Ryan cleared his throat.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's not exactly the same as getting a puppy from the pound, you know?" he asked his friend, who was now picking up the orphan because she stretched out her arms to him. Jeremiah looked at his fellow doctor and smiled.

"You're right, its not the same," Jeremiah said simply. "It's better."


	3. Chapter 3

***refuses to insult anyone's intelligence by giving lame assed disclaimer again***

**HOWEVER, since Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys was not really recognized by the franchise as being an official part of it (to the best of my knowledge), I feel a certain liberty with the characters of Robert and Alexandra. Sorry if this bothers anyone, but it's going to make my story work out better.**

**Now that I feel (slightly) like a jerk, onwards..**

Needless to say, Jeremiah's adoption of the lost girl was not as smooth as he'd expected. She was put in the closest orphanage in the meantime but he was allowed daily visits. He'd already had a name chosen for her in light of their situation; Rajiya, which meant "hopeful". It was nearly 3 more years before Jeremiah proved himself more than worthy to be her guardian and that her returning to the States with him would be the best option.

Little Rajiya made sure that Jeremiah was the only allowed candidate, throwing ear-splitting conniption fits when other families came to see her. She was the prettiest little girl in the orphanage, her hair dark burgundy and those bizarre eyes that stood out against her golden skin. She learned to speak English in her years there, and rejected any title assigned to her until the officials relented and allowed her to be named Rajiya. It was a name as lovely as she was, when she was with Jeremiah at least. Anyone else got either the silent treatment or tantrums.

So when the long awaited time arrived, Jeremiah and Rajiya said goodbye to India and went back to The United States. Robert welcomed them into his home until Jeremiah finished his house-hunt for the west coast. He'd heard of and had his sights set on UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco while he was still in India. It had a significant reputation and the staff-to-patient ratio was superior. Alexandra was delighted to have her new cousin to play with in the meantime, and the two girls had many a sleepover in Alexandra's treehouse.

Not more than a month of his return, Jeremiah and Robert's father, Thomas, had been informed of having Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. He had known of the cancer for well over a year already but had kept it from his sons and wife, hoping the remission would keep hold. Unfortunately, it did not. The Toulons buried Thomas only 2 months after they learned of his illness. It was tragic and broke all their hearts. Diedre was completely devistated and while Robert and Jeremiah were crushed as well, they remained stoic for their children's sake. As well as their mother's; she had a terrible heart problem and the stress and loss of Thomas could very well take her from them too.

By Christmas time, right when Jeremiah was booking his and his daughter's flights to San Francisco, Deidre herself had passed. Robert found her in her bed after not hearing from her for nearly 6 days. Jeremiah remained to help his brother put their mother to rest. It took another whole year to pass before the grief began to lift like a fog and allow Jeremiah and Rajiya, as well as Robert and Alexandra, to move on with their lives and go their seperate ways once again.

And life, as per usual, continued for quite a while without any further hitches. Years crept by, even. Jeremiah became one of the most renowned and beloved of the physicians at Benioff, and not just by his high patient recovery rate. His ability to balance his personal and professional life was astounding. If he was unable to return home to Rajiya by 7pm every night, he arranged for her daytime nanny to bring her to the hospital to stay with him. Jeremiah had even set up a small bedroom, of sorts, in his office for her to sleep over in. This did not bother the child, in fact, she typically looked forward to going to her father's place of work. Rajiya kept the patients in high spirits by playing with or reading to them, even holding their hands if they were unconcious.

This was the way that Rajiya and Jeremiah Toulon proceeded to live until she was about 14 years old. They had managed to go back east to see Robert and Alexandra every year on Christmas, most of the times during the summer as well. It was in late April of Rajiya's freshman year of high school that things were once again changed, and not for the better.

Rajiya was in her Honors English class, passing notes to her best and closest friend of the past 4 years, Jake Steinberg, discussing how excited she was to visit her uncle and cousin that summer when the teacher walked over to her. Rajiya jammed the note into her binder, thinking she'd been busted yet again.

"Ms. Toulon, you're being called to the Main Office," the instructor said, dropping the slip of paper onto her desk that said exactly that. Rajiya let out a sigh of relief, then felt a jolt of excitement when she saw it detailed that her father was there waiting for her. Perhaps they were leaving early for their trip? It'd been a possibility and had happened once before. She felt a smile form as she packed up her books and binder into her messenger bag.

"I'll call you," Rajiya said to Jake, patting his hand as she got up and made her way up the aisle of desks and out the door. When she got to the office, Jeremiah was indeed there. He was still dressed in his nice slacks, shirt, tie, and white jacket. His handsome face was blank, which was odd. She hugged him tightly.

"Hi Daddy," she said affectionately, then became curious when he did not release her from the embrace. "Umm, is something wrong?" She became even more curious when the principal and secretary got up and left them alone in the room.

"I have something to tell you, Raj," Jeremiah said, finally letting her go and placing his big hands on her shoulders. She looked at him quizically, furrowing her brow as he gently sat her down in the chair beside them. He took a deep, ragged breath and that's when Rajiya noticed his eyes were glossy and bloodshot; like he'd been crying.

"Did something happen at work?" she questioned, and Jeremiah shook his head. He remained silent as he tried to regain his composure. "DAD, what is it then?"

"It's about your Uncle Robert and Alexandra, dear," he said shakily. "There was an accident..."

Rajiya began to shake then. She felt the air leave her lungs as she said lowly, "What do you mean..?" Even though she had a terrible feeling that she knew exactly what he meant. She just wanted to be wrong.

But she wasn't.

"We won't be seeing them," her father replied, tears finally leaking out of his blue eyes. "They were in a car accident yesterday. Drunk driver. Nobody survived-"

"NO!" Rajiya cried, getting to her feet too quickly and swaying slightly. "No!" she said again when Jeremiah took her into his arms. Then the dread took full hold and she let out a pained scream, pressing her face into his chest. This couldn't be happening, they'd just spoken to Robert and Alexandra on the phone not even 3 days ago. Rajiya had a pile of CD's on her desk at home of music she'd burned for her cousin. They made plans to shop and gossip, and Alexandra said she had something extraordinary to show Rajiya when she'd gotten there.

Now, Rajiya figured she'd never know what it was. But she figured wrong. The extraordinary something would be left for her and Jeremiah to claim in Robert's will.

After attending the funeral service, Jeremiah and Rajiya went to Robert and Alexandra's now vacant home to meet with the lawyer. All of their belongings and the house had been left to the younger Toulon brother, as somewhat expected seeing as how he was the only living blood relative. It was designated to go to Alexandra first, but since she had perished as well it was now Jeremiah's. His own will was made out the same way; leaving his fortune and possessions to his daughter first and brother/neice second.

"Dad, may I go upstairs please?" Rajiya asked Jeremiah as he and the lawyer began to sift through a mountain of paperwork. He nodded and permitted her to go. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and excused herself from the room, taking out her cell phone once she reached Alexandra's room to call Jake. He answered after one ring.

"Hey girlfriend," he said somberly.

"Hi Boo," Rajiya replied, sitting on her cousin's bed.

"How are you holding up?" Jake asked her. She shrugged even though he couldn't see it.

"Decently, I suppose. It was a nice service." She fought the tears choking her voice and gripped the bedspread with her spare hand.

"Just let it out, girl," Jake told his friend, and she obliged. Rajiya sobbed the way she refused to during the service. Jake understood how much her cousin had meant to her, and had even been close to Alexandra himself, having gone on one of the Christmas visits. Rajiya and Jake met in 6th grade and had been inseperable since. They loved each other in a completely friendly way, not romantically. In fact, shortly before entering high school Jake came out to Rajiya, and Jeremiah had even gone with him to tell his parents he was gay. When he was disowned by both his mother and father, Jeremiah had welcomed Jake into his home until he was able to move in with an aunt. Yes, Jake and Rajiya were closer to one another than they were to anyone else. Which was exactly why she wasn't ashamed to bawl her eyes out to him.

"It's just so fucking awful," Rajiya said before blowing her nose. "I don't think it's ever going to fully sink in."

"Give it time, Raj. It's still _way_ too early to start thinking about moving on just yet."

"I know," she replied, impatiently wiping her eyes as she smoothed out the bedspread and stood up. She walked over to Alexandra's desk, which had a mirror in front of it. Stuck in along the edges of the frame were pictures of her and Rajiya together throughout the years. Rajiya took the most recent one and looked closer at it. "Of everyone in the world, it had to be **them.** I don't understand." She put the picture in the pocket of her black wool peacoat and patted it lightly.

"I don't either. I'm not going to give you the dumb ass spiel about 'The world working in mysterious ways' either. It just sucks, everything about it is the worst," Jake agreed. Rajiya nodded slowly, her eyes wandering to a large object that was on the floor to the right of the desk. She cocked an eyebrow in interest and kneeled down in front of it. It was a large, beat up old trunk. Rajiya touched one of the latches lightly with her index finger, jumping in surprise when Jeremiah knocked lightly on the door. She didn't realize she'd closed it.

"I gotta call you back," Rajiya said, exhaling and rising to her feet. "Dad needs me. Love you, and thanks."

"Anytime," Jake replied. "Love you too." Rajiya put her cell phone into her other coat pocket and opened the door. Jeremiah gave her a weak smile.

"Hi honey. Sorry about that boring lawyer stuff. Have to just get the legalities out of the way," he said as he entered the room and patted his daughter lightly on the back.

"It's okay, Daddy," Rajiya said, returning her father's forced smile. Jeremiah's gaze fell on the trunk, which now seemed to stick out like a sore thumb.

"That must be the infamous Trunk Robert mentioned in his will," he said slowly, going over to it. Rajiya helped him haul it to the center of the room.

"Did he say what was in it?" she questioned as he turned it so that the latches were facing them. Jeremiah shook his head.

"No, but I already know what it's contents are," he said as he took the small key the lawyer had given him out of his pants pocket and unlocked it. Opening it revealed several dolls and puppets; most still under construction.

"Were these Grandpa's?" Rajiya asked, gazing at the only (seemingly) finished and vivid puppets that were situated in the very front. "They're beautiful." Jeremiah opened a compartment in the back of the trunk and found what appeared to be large, leather-bound journal of sorts. Opening it, he smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks.

"Yes, and his father's before him, et-cetera," Jeremiah said, sitting on the floor in front of the trunk. "I think it's time you learned about the more, let's say _'eccentric' _part of the Toulon family history. Sit down, dear, this might take a while."


	4. Chapter 4

**After somewhat falling off the face of the earth for a while (aka barely surviving the nightmare known as moving), I've managed to claw my way back to my computer and get on with this story.**

Rajiya listened to Jeremiah intently as he explained every detail imaginable about the trunk and the puppets it contained. She wasn't sure if she'd even blinked her eyes once during his story-telling. It was confirmed that she indeed had not, when he finally stopped talking and she found it almost difficult to bring her eyelids together.

It was silent for nearly an entire minute as Rajiya glanced from the trunk to the four puppets laid out, and back a few times. She pinched the bridge of her nose to ease the tension caused by her furrowed brow.

"Are you all right?" Jeremiah asked her, feeling himself smiling unintentionally at his daughter's pretty, perplexed face.

"Pardon my language, Dad, but are you shitting me?" she asked candidly.

Jeremiah actually laughed at this. "I can see how you'd suspect as much, but let it sink in. It's real."

"And so are they?" She pointed at the four figures in front of her.

"Well yeah they're not holograms-"

"Duh, Dad," Rajiya herself laughed. "I mean, alive? And honestly, living puppets is waaaaay more baller than holograms."

At this, Jeremiah began pawing around in the trunk again. He withdrew a small bound bundle, that unrolled like his sterile surgical packs at the hospital. It contained a syringe with detachable needles, several vials, and spare needles. He assembled the syringe and filled it with the liquid inside one of the vials.

"Honey can you hand me Pinhead?" he asked Rajiya, who reached over and gingerly picked up said puppet. They'd been named in the journal Jeremiah had read from. She passed him to her father, who turned him over and inserted the needle into the base of his neck.

"Doesn't that hurt them?"

"No," Jeremiah answered, accepting Blade next and repeating the process with him and the remaining two puppets. After they'd all been placed back on the floor in front of the doctor and his cautiously curious daughter, they remained immobile.

"How long does it take to kick in?"

"Not very-"

Jeremiah was unable to finish answering Rajiya before she shrieked and scrambled behind him because Pinhead began clenching his fingers. He put his hand on hers, where it was gripping his right shoulder rather hard for a 14 year old girl. They watched, fascinated, as all the puppets stirred to life and brought themselves to their small feet.

"Don't be afraid, darling," Jeremiah said to Rajiya as she leapt to her own feet when the puppets all rushed over to him excitedly. Jester wrapped his arms around his knee, and all puppets were chattering happily in a strange language. Rajiya eyed them suspiciously, but kneeled back down to their level slowly.

_"Can you believe the last time we saw Jeremiah was when he was 18 years old?"_ Blade hissed to Six Shooter, who was shaking the doctor's hand vigorously.

_"I ain't gonna admit to that, I don't want to feel even older than we are."_

_"I wasn't sure we'd see him again!"_ Pinhead put in joyfully, hugging Jeremiah's free arm.

_"Hey!"_ Jester interrupted, his face spinning to a happy expression as he pointed past Jeremiah and directly at Rajiya. She looked behind her quickly, then felt a little stupid when she realized that the puppet was obviously pointing at **her**. Regardless of how weird that was on its own. _"Who is this pretty lady?"_

"How rude of me," Jeremiah said with a smile. "Got caught up in the moment. I'd like you all to meet my daughter, Rajiya. She will be your new Mistress."

"Nice to meet all of you-wait, what?" she exclaimed, turning her shocked face to Jeremiah as the puppets clamored over to her and began crawling about on her folded legs. Her surprise didn't even allow her to notice that Six Shooter had challenged Jester to a braiding contest with her long, thick hair.

"With me at work all the time, I think the extra company would do you good, especially since you've been staying home by yourself the past couple months," Jeremiah explained as Jester began bickering Six Shooter for dragging him into a game he'd obviously lose.

"Well, I suppose so.." she trailed off, taking notice of the random braids in her hair and smiling broadly. "Do they need to eat or anything?"

"No, just get their inoculations."

Suddenly, light flooded the room after Pinhead had climbed onto the bed and turned on the lamp that was on the bedside table. This allowed Rajiya, Jeremiah and the puppets to all get even better looks at each other.

"I hadn't realized it was past dark," Jeremiah said, standing and stretching after glancing at his watch. "Our plane doesn't leave until 6 more hours, but we better leave now to explain our little friends through airport security."

A few nights later...

The front door of the loft was slammed as an indication that Jake had arrived. Rajiya was changing into her pajamas upstairs.

"I'm here, slut!" he shouted upwards, tossing his bag onto the couch and plunking himself down on it.

"Coming, Boo Bear!" she yelled back, tossing her day clothes into the hamper before coming downstairs. She found her best friend sitting in the living room, kicking his shoes off onto the floor. Rajiya sat beside him and they embraced warmly.

"I missed you!" she told him, rustling his black hair when they pulled apart. Jake smiled as he shoved her hand away.

"Missed you too, are you all right?" he questioned. "You made it seem super urgent that I come over as soon as you and your dad got back."

"It's nothing bad," Rajiya began, when Jake suddenly jolted up straight. He rubbed his backside and glared down at the couch cushion.

"The fuck was that?" he demanded more than asked, slapping the throw pillow off the couch. He then screamed and jumped to his feet. "THAT'S what the fuck that was?"

Rajiya followed his long pointed finger to where Blade was sitting, fixing his fedora and hissing in displeasure at having been wedged under the pillow and then squished by the strange male in his Mistress' house. She began laughing as Jake got more frantic.

"It's not funny, Raj!" he barked at her, backing away from her and Blade. His scream reached the highest Rajiya had ever heard when he bumped into Six Shooter, who'd wandered in from the dining room to see what kind of shit hit the fan.

"It's okay, Six," Rajiya told the puppet when he took offense to being knocked into and reached for his guns. "Jake is new to this whole thing."

"Bitch, that's putting it lightly," Jake said, wringing his hands together and looking all over the vast living area. "Got anymore surprises for me-Oh FUCK there they are!" he exclaimed shrilly as Pinhead and Jester ambled down the stairs to join the festivites.

"I swear, there is only four of them," Rajiya wiped her eyes after she finished laughing. She felt slightly guilty for exploiting Jake's ability to become more girly than she ever could whenever he was frightened. She patted the couch beside her and the only reason he accepted her invitation to sit back down was because all the puppets, including Blade, were now on the coffee table.

"Sure nothing else is creepin' in those cushions?" he asked wearily as he joined Rajiya.

"Promise." She slung an arm around Jake and kissed him on the cheek. "I'd like to introduce you to the newest members of our entourage..."


	5. Chapter 5

***Much to my pleasure, people are reviewing/following my story! Holy shit snacks! I forgot how much joy that can bring! Many thanks to all who come to read my banter***

Every day spent in class during one's high school years are painstakingly drawn out. Rajiya was convinced that San Francisco University High School was in its own sloth-like dimension.

This feeling worsened ever since the puppets had come to live with her and Jeremiah. Against her liking, Rajiya was forced to leave them at home everyday when she was gone (amongst all the obvious reasons, sneaking them in would prove futile, as Blade and Six Shooter would most definitely set off the metal detectors located at every possible enterance of the school). The puppets worried about their Mistress while she was out, but managed to keep themselves busy in the immense loft.

The ability to have literal free reign was liberating, and soon each of the puppets had fallen into daily routines of their own alongside their human counterparts. Jeremiah (if he'd managed to get to spend a night at home) would wake up at 4:00am to get ready for work. He'd be finished and on his way out as Rajiya got up at 5:45am to make coffee for him as he dashed out the door to (somewhat) beat traffic.

The puppets slept in Rajiya's room upstairs with her. When her alarm clock would go off, Pinhead would hit the snooze button two different times before they all rose, stretching. Jester was always curled up under Rajiya's right arm, Pinhead claimed the pillow on the left side of the bed to be in charge of the alarm clock. Six Shooter was content at the foot of the four poster bed, and Blade preferred to be on top of the dresser so he would have a decent view of the entire room, including all doors and windows. It was force of habit, plus with his appendages being the way they were, Blade was not as suitable of a snuggle buddy as Jester was with his velvet clad suit and small frame.

After preparing Jeremiah's thermos of coffee (lots of toffee-flavored creamer, just the way he liked it), and kissing him good-bye after seeing him to the door, Rajiya would go back to her bedroom to get dressed and do her hair. By 6:30am she would come back downstairs to the kitchen and sit at the bar counter on a stool and eat the whole wheat toast with strawberry preserves that Six Shooter had made for her while Pinhead prepared _her_ a thermos of tea (she had a well stocked cupboard full of loose leaf varieties, and he never made the same kind two days in a row). Depending on the time of year Jester and Blade would either bring her a peacoat, head scarf and umbrella combination or a light cardigan. Very rarely would she go without any covering/accessory, the bay weather tended to stay on the cooler side.

The honk of a car horn outside would indicate her ride, a.k.a. Jake, arriving at approximately 6:45am. Rajiya would hug all the puppets, who'd gathered together at her feet by the door to bid her adieu. A quick peck atop each of their wooden heads and Rajiya would flounce out the door and lock it behind her.

This is when things would get interesting.

The Toulons did not see the need for a replacement maid after the last one quit...and had run screaming out the door upon entering the home and discovering Six Shooter with bottles of Pledge wood cleaner, Windex, and several microfiber clothes, dusting the entertainment center. On her (frantic) way out she had caught sight of Blade and Jester trimming dead fronds of the beautifully potted pygmy palm trees by the front door. The maid then, in all her panic, tripped over Pinhead as he was attempting to replace the door mat after shaking the dust and debris out of it.

Jeremiah and Rajiya did not ask the puppets to do such chores, but the figurines had insisted. Not only did they like helping around the 2,000sq foot modernized loft-style house, the maid was annoying and always seemed to stay for an eternity, forcing the puppets to hide in Rajiya's room under her bed. They decided to use scare tactics (yes, they intentionally had themselves walked in on that day) when the air-headed woman almost sucked one of Jester's tiny legs into the Dyson vacuum when she thrust it under the bed carelessly one day.

In other words, she was not missed.

After all the humans had left the premises, any light chores were completed within an hour's time. After words the puppets would usually split off to do their own activites. Blade would typically go into Jeremiah's study and sift through his medical books and look at case files that might've been left on the desk. Medicine had certainly progressed since he himself had his own practice...a rather long time ago. The advances in modern medicine seemed infinite, so he had plenty to look through and take in.

Six Shooter would entertain himself with target practice in the small backyard or with watching westerns on one of the hundreds of channels available via satellite on the 84" flat screen television hanging above the gas fireplace in the living room. Taking naps on the ultra comfortable couch was favorable as well.

Pinhead had taken to starting a small herb and vegetable garden with Rajiya in the backyard, and spent a good deal of the afternoons tending to it if the weather allowed it. He didn't mind the average temperature of 55-65 degrees, or even the fog. But when there was rain or even mist, he found it bothersome and would go inside to find something else to do. Which usually meant playing/pranking with Jester.

By all means, Jester should have ceased to exist by this point. He was immensely lucky that his commrades loved him as dearly as they did, because he tested their patience and love on a nearly daily basis. He'd make webs out of fishing lure in doorways for Six Shooter to walk into and get entangled in. Blade had found himself stepping onto and sticking to fly-paper on 4 seperate occasions, all having been in different locations of the loft. Pinhead probably got the most slack out of everyone; he'd weighed his options and decided that getting bitched out by Blade and Six Shooter was easier to deal with than suffering god only knows _what_ Jester would have planned for him. More often than not the pranks resulted in the victim being trapped/stuck until Rajiya would come home, usually with Jake in tow, and would require both humans to free them. As soon as the key could be heard turning in the lock of the front door, all the puppets would become excited not only because they had missed their Mistress, but also because it usually meant freedom from whatever gag Jester had pulled that day.

The routine changed slightly by the time Rajiya finally got around to getting her driver's license. She'd been afraid of driving in the city she'd grown up in and found the steep hills and other commuters daunting. However, after putting up with Jake's road rage and several near-pull over confrontations/fist fights for a couple years, she decided to acquire her license at 18 years old. Jeremiah offered to buy Rajiya whatever car she'd wanted, but she was happy a simple VW Jetta. She was also willing to pay for half of it with her job at the small hindu/middle eastern shop on Haight/Ashbury shopping district called "For The Love of Ganesh". It meant the puppets could come with her; a treat for Mistress and puppets alike. They also moved out of Jeremiah's house (much to his paternal dismay) and into a nice two bedroom less than a mile away with Jake.

After school Rajiya would come home and pick them up before heading over to Jake to get him if their shifts coinsided (he worked in the Loyal Army store a couple blocks away). On weekends or during the summer they would just head to Haight/Ashbury at 9:00am and remain there until closing time, which was usually between 6-7, depending on business. The puppets loved being in the small and rather cramped shop, it'd reminded them of some of the nicer antique shops they'd been in in the past. Not to mention they could roam/hide in the curtains, garments, and scarves or upon the various shelves to help bust shoplifters.

As Rajiya got older, she seemed to have more and more male customers come into the shop to creep on her. She was indeed becoming more beautiful, her face and jaw line more refined and her curves finally all coming to place. At 19 she'd finished growing and stood at about 5'9". Rajiya kept her hair long and her makeup minimal, which allowed her bronze skin to glow. The puppets knew with exasperated sigh of hers signaled another suitor coming into their place of business. They'd praise her, sometimes tastefully, but most of the time these men were completely shameless, class-less morons. The stoners who'd wander in from an intense smoking session in Golden Gate Park would swear ("Dude, on my..my mom's fucking grave dude!") that Rajiya was Adriana Lima. Normally, she'd laughed it off and took it as a huge compliment. But after hearing it repeatedly, it got old real fast. On one particular day, she decided to sass back at a troop of 3 DeadHeads who came in for the 4th time that day to show new people each time how similar she looked to the model.

"Despite my name not being Adriana? Nor does it even start with an A..." she drawled, drumming her manicured nails on the countertop as the puppets would subtly gather at her feet behind said counter.

"You ARE her though!"

"I am not even Brazillian!" Rajiya retorted, groaning as one of the guys teetered on his feet and nearly knocked over the Ganesh statue near the small offered Prayer Room. "Excuse me, have some respect, if you can manage such a thing."

"Damn girl, our bad," he laughed, feigning his being sorry. When the three of them burst out laughing after accidentally overturning a bin of incense, Rajiya had had enough of these goons.

"All right, that's it!" she said sternly, narrowing her grey eyes. "You all reek of patchouli and failure, get the hell out of my store. I need to close anyways." They laughed at her irritation, only infuriating her more. The puppets had panned themselves out around the men by them, ready to take action if needed.

"Bitch, just chill-" one said crudely before getting his hand slashed by Blade as he set it on a shelf to balance himself. "What the fuck!" he cried out, unable to see the dark puppet hidden amongst the books and scriptures on the shelving. "I just cut my fucking hand on something!"

Rajiya knew exactly what his hand had gotten cut on, or rather, **by**. "Don't worry, you probably have tetanus already," she said, half laughing. "You should probably bounce before it gets waaaaay worse for all of you."

"You threatening us?" another said menacingly, taking a step towards her. He was only able to take one before Pinhead reached out from behind a beaded curtain and twisted the man's ankle with his massive hands. "What kind of weird voodoo shit you got going on in here?!" he shouted, hopping on one foot then.

"Come on, let's leave this freaky Brazilian bitch to her witchcraft," said the only uninjured one of the group as he helped his friends.

"Try Indian, you ignorant jackasses," Rajiya stated, relieved they were leaving without much more trouble having to ensue. It took a couple hours to clean up last time the puppets had to get involved in the removal of a creeper or two.

"Go crawl back in your Tee-Pee or Wig-Wam, you weird broad," one spat as they shambled out the door. Rajiya snorted in disgust.

"Wrong kind of Indian, white trash. Go read a book or two while you're fucking off." She burst into laughter when Six Shooter and Jester tightened a line of hemp rope at ankle level and sent the three stoners stumbling into a cursing confused heap on the sidewalk outside. Jake walked up then, stepping over the men as he came to the doorway. One of them pointed at him. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Mother fucker looks like Cary Grant! What year is this? 1938?"

"Sounds like **you** found some good shit in Golden Gate Park," Jake replied with a smirk. Rajiya had often made the same comparison. He closed the shop door behind him and locked it, looking down at Jester and Six Shooter, who'd already attached themselves to his long legs. Jake walked awkwardly over to Rajiya, who was still laughing. He handed her some hot tea in a to-go cup as he took a drink of his own.

"It appears you've had an interesting day at the office," he said as Rajiya finally stopped laughing and Jester and Six Shooter joined Blade and Pinhead at their feet.

"Ooooooh yeah," Rajiya said, giving Jake the usual kiss on the cheek. "That's one way to put it. I'm _sooooo_ ready to get the hell out of here and have tomorrow off."

"Sundays are good for something after all," Jake said as Rajiya closed up her register and gave the store a once-over. "We still on to meet Dad at The Citrus Club?"

"Yeah, its like right next to your store you didn't have to come all the way to the other side of Haight for me," she said, feeling guilty for being the reason he walked several blocks in the damp winter air. He shrugged off her concern.

"Oh sure, I'm gonna just let you walk down this street in the dark alone," he snarked at her as he opened his large messenger bag for the puppets to get into. "Bitch please, Frisco be cray-cray."

"Ever the gentleman," Rajiya snarked in return as they exitted the shop and locked the door behind them. She tightened her scarf around her neck and wormed herself under one of Jake's arms as they walked down Haight together. "Cary Grant, indeed!"

Jake laughed. "I might be gay, but I can manage chivalry once in a while for a girl."

"You're cheating on me?" Rajiya feigned offense; Jake squeezed her shoulder.

"Whatever, skank! You're the only beezy for me." He brought the messenger bag around to the front of himself and opened it as they walked. The puppets gave each other enough room to emerge evenly. "Thanks for keeping an eye on my Home Girl," Jake said to them and Blade waved his knife dismissively.

_"Bitch, please,"_ Blade mocked, but was only heard as a hiss. Somehow though, through body language and tone, Rajiya and Jake had been able to understand the puppets nearly completely by this point. They laughed at the gothic puppet's gesture, taking it exactly for what it was.

They continued their walk, almost halfway to the thai food restaurant they were meeting Jeremiah at. The puppets had turned themselves around to be looking in the same direction as their human counterparts. The brisk air did not bother them in the slightest, seeing as how the mist from earlier in the day gave way to a clear, cold night sky.

_"I like nights like this,"_ Six Shooter said to his friends. _"Any night I can see the stars, really."_

_ "Reminds me of the hotel,"_ Pinhead put in. _"When we'd go sit on the balcony with Andre...and the others.."_ He ended his sentence there, it was a sore subject for everyone.

_ "It is nice to have and hold onto good memories,"_ Blade comforted his comrades, who nodded in agreement. _"And think of all the amazing memories we make now, day after day, with Raj and Jeremiah and Jake. We haven't had to fight, fiercely, in many many years. We have been given a great gift, being in the company of such wonderful individuals."_

_"I really love Raj,"_ Jester added happily. _"She is the best Mistress ever! I don't think she's ever gotten mad at us for anything...even when I put Krazy Glue on the handle of her blow dryer that one day."_

_ "You woulda deserved a good thrashin' for that, little one,"_ Six Shooter said as he and the other puppets laughed at the memory of Rajiya screaming in the bathroom with the styling tool cemented to her hand, waving her arm around wildly and crashing into cabinets and knocking the shower curtain off of its hooks. When the puppets had come in to investigate they discovered tears pouring out of her eyes, but she was also laughing so hard she could hardly catch her breath. She'd praised Jester for a prank well done and gave him a kiss for it.

_"That was one of my best, not gonna lie,"_ Jester said in a smug tone as they all approached the restaurant. The puppets ducked back down into the bag until Jake and Rajiya were seated at their private booth in the back, where they then re-emerged and hugged Jeremiah around his waist, under the table and out of sight.

It was the rememberance of days and times like this; days and times full of happiness, closeness, and unceasing love, that were the only things that were able to get the puppets and their Mistress through the very **very** difficult times ahead.


	6. Chapter 6

***Here I am again, finally getting my ass around to posting another chapter. I have this story mostly written out BY HAND (technology=a bitch, in short..), and now that I have the chance I'm going to type out some of it***

**Disclaimer? Seriously, do people even read those?**

It all started with sushi.

A warm 85 degree summer evening found Rajiya Toulon sitting in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom at her and Jake's shared apartment, straightening her hair and debating whether to wear the blue bandage dress or the red. Or rather, Rajiya tending to her hairstyle with the ambient noise of the _puppets_ doing the debating over which dress she should wear, that odd language of theirs drowning out the music coming from the record player on her dresser.

_"I think she should wear the red_," Jester said, irritated at this point as he tugged at the hem of said dress. Both articles of clothing as well as all 4 puppets were on the bed. _"It really brings out her hair."_

_"Oh come on, Little One, you like it because YOU wear red,"_ Six Shooter said with a sneer additional to the permanent one he always wore. _"Admit it."_

"_Do not!_"

Blade was watching his mistress while his commrades bickered (he scarcely participated in such squabbles), seated on the edge of the bed with his small legs dangling over the edge. Rajiya was done by now with her hair and laid the straightener down after unplugging it before distributing smoothing argan oil over the finished result. After self examination, she turned to Blade with raised eyebrows.

"What do you think? Suitable for dinner date with Dad tonight at Yoshi's?" she asked the gothic puppet, whom nodded quickly and brought his knife and hook together in approval. His mistress really did look quite lovely and her smile upon rising to her feet and coming over to him and the other puppets showed her pleasure in his reaction. She looked down at Pinhead, Jester, and Six Shooter and their now heated discussion. "Well look who it is here, the Fashion Police," she let out with a sarcastic air. "Who wants to be Joan Rivers? Is everything a game to all of you?"

_"Go with the blue option,"_ Pinhead put in quietly. _"Its Jeremiah's favorite color, afterall."_

Rajiya had every intent on wearing something simple and black; Yoshi's was a Jazz Lounge/sushi restaurant right in the inner city. Don't you dare show up in some outfit that might cause you to pose as competition with any other females San Fransicians higher ranking than you (Gods FORBID), so black was always a safe option. The berating puppets slumped in disappointment they didnt bother masking as Rajiya reached across and settled her sights on the black one she had hidden off the side the entire time.

"Observe my choice, boys!" she said as she pulled the black version out from under the confines of the dry cleaners bag. "I appreciate your constructive criticism but I must go with what's safe. You can thank the uppity bitches of Marin County for that." After putting on the garment she seated herself back in front of the mirror and opened her makeup case to finish her look for the evening. But not before putting on a chunky sapphire statement necklace with a wink at Pinhead in the reflection of the glass. The burly puppet beamed inwardly as he joined the others in sitting themselves around her to watch. The record playing in the background continued its clear yet scratchy melody in the background.

"You better go with a neutral eyeshadow pallet with that outfit. And might I suggest the nude colored suede pumps?" Jake suggested, appearing just then. He was leaning against the bedroom's doorframe, tapping his fingers against the cream colored wood. They scarcely ever shut the doors in the apartment, constantly invading one another's privacy.

"Planned on it, my dear," Rajiya said in a sing-song voice as she finished brushing on her mineral powder over the foundation she'd just applied. "You ought to have more faith in me, I've known you long enough."

"Who is the lucky guy? Don't tell me you finally accepted one of the date offers from one of your shop stalkers."

"Eww don't be gross. It's Dad, said he had something to discuss with me," Rajiya answered, accepting the eyelash curler that Jester held out to her. It was the anniversary of Robert and Alexandra's passing, and Jeremiah and his daughter decided to celebrate their lives instead of mourn each year by going out and spending quality time with one another. Usually Jake accompanied them but this time he was forced to stay home from both work and the annual outing with a real doozy of a headcold.

"It's never good when Dad's want to 'talk'," Jake said, his tone becoming more nasal as he stifled a sneeze. "But have fun, and ask him to get us some vodka for tonight."

"Why don't you text him and ask yourself, hmm?" Rajiya replied, rising to her feet after finishing her makeup. Six Shooter had already brought her the high heels and was taking a couple fistfuls of Kleenex over to Jake. The young man feigned offense.

"Well fiiiiiiiine, bitch, I will." He took out his iPhone and sent the request with one hand while blowing his nose with the other.

"Get your contagious ass out of my room, I'm trying to listen to Portugal the Man and finish getting ready. There is a fresh batch of chamomile tea and a super comfortable new throw blanket on the couch waiting for you and your germs in the living room," Rajiya said as she sat on her bed to put on her shoes. Jake gave her a friendly middle finger and left the room with Six Shooter and Pinhead. She stayed seated on the edge of the mattress for a few moments longer, trying to shake off the nagging feeling she had about her meet up with Jeremiah. Jake was right, when parents had something to discuss, whether it ended up being good or bad the vagueness of the impending 'talk' was always wrought with dread of one sort or another.

_"You don't need to worry, everything is fine or else he would have said otherwise,"_ Jester said and patted her ankle comfortingly with Blade beside him, hissing in agreement. Rajiya's grey eyes fell onto the puppets and she gave them a small smile.

"You're right, I'm probably just freaking out over nothing."

"Hello darling, you look beautiful!" Jeremiah greeted his daughter, rising to his feet when she approached the reserved table at Yoshi's. She smiled when he kissed her on the cheek and pulled out her chair for her; her father was always a real gentleman.

"You are looking dapper as well, Dad," Rajiya said, seating herself and scooting in closer to the table as he sat back in his own chair. In front of her was a small cast iron teapot, the aroma of green tea wafting into her nose. Jeremiah felt himself smiling then, motioning to his simple yet elegant black suit and maroon undershirt.

"Oh, this old thing? Some really pretty Indian girl with great taste bought it for me for my birthday last year and I finally had an chance to wear it."

Rajiya let out a laugh. "Remind me sometime to praise her for a job well done." She poured herself and her father a glass of tea each and raised it. "To fashionable offspring, equally fashionable parents, our Dearly Departed, and being relieved." They clinked their small glasses together and drank.

"Being relieved? What, worried I was going to ground you or something?" Jeremiah began asking when the waiter approached their table to take their order. He requested the usual round of cut and specialty rolls with a side of edamame before fixing his eyes back on Rajiya.

"Ha! As if I'm scared of your doing that anymore," she teased as she moved her purse from her lap down on the floor beside her feet. She then shrugged. "I needn't remind you of that eerie feeling "I want to talk to you about something" brings."

"Well it isn't anything bad, sweetheart, I just wanted to tell you about a wonderful opportunity I received at work."

"They need you to pose for the statue you so righteously deserve to have erected in your honor in the courtyard of the hospital?" Rajiya quipped. "Wear the suit I-, uhh I mean SOMEone bought for you that you have on now. It looks great."

Jeremiah felt as though he smiled nonstop while with his adopted daughter. He loved Rajiya's wit, company, everything about her. What would he do without this girl in his life? "Not exactly..." He paused, knowing she probably wouldn't be a huge fan of what he had to tell her. He decided to be blunt. "I have a chance to go practice abroad once again."

"Oh really?" Rajiya asked, rubbing her hands together as the steamed soy beans were placed in front of them along with the simple cut rolls of sushi. "Where at?" He couldn't help but notice how her eyes narrowed slightly at this.

"Overseas..." Suddenly being blunt wasn't working out so well. Jeremiah watched Rajiya as she arranged some sliced ginger and spicy tuna rolls onto her plate until she cleared her throat loudly. They looked at each other momentarily.

"Ummm, duh?" she said with a small laugh. "You know what I mean."

"In Egypt," was his nonchalant answer. There was a dull thud as her elbows came down on the surface before them. "Cairo, to be exact. Don't eat with your elbows on the table, Raj, it's bad manners."

For probably only the third time in her life, Rajiya ignored her father's ruling. Her chopsticks, holding one of the spicy tuna rolls, became limp and drooped slightly.

"Egypt is in political upheaval right now, Dad. I declared myself a virtual anarchist in freshman year and absolutely loathe CNN but even **I** know this."

"I'm well aware of the turmoil that the country is in, Raj."

"So what in the hell are you doing?" Her voice was low, deadpan. Jeremiah wished she would look him in the face but she was staring very hard at the teapot, her full lips pursed.

"I am needed more than ever there," he continued, unfolding his cloth napkin and moving to place it on his lap. Instead he found himself wringing it in his hands. Did she really have to look so forlorn?

"And let me guess, you've already accepted this _wonderful_ offer?"

"My flight is booked for 3 weeks from now."

The obviously overpriced sushi and plastic chopsticks fell to the floor and some soy sauce spilled onto the table from the small saucers. Jeremiah took Rajiya's shaking hands into his and held them tight.

The Toulon family is known for its resiliance and togetherness. It'd take a lot more than thousands of miles and a hard seperation to cause any problems.

"Well well well," Jake said to his roommate when she came into the living room after locking their front door behind her. The puppets wormed themselves out from under the (very cozy) throw blanket to greet their mistress. "If it isn't our favorite hot mess."

"Fuck you, butthole."

"Is that really the best you can come up with?" he answered Rajiya, making room for her on the couch. She slumped down and took the puppets into her arms after settling under one of his. "I'm disappointed. Give me that Grey Goose, I see you started without me. Did Dad give you a ride home?" He took the large and still cold bottle from her hands and poured some of the alcohol into two half-full glasses of orange juice he had ready since she texted him announcing she was on her way home.

"Yeah," Rajiya said after taking a long drink. "I bet you're just **dying** to know what the talk was about and I promise I'll tell you. Tomorrow." She patted Pinhead's shoulder to calm his worried demenear. "Tonight I just want everything else to go as planned. Deal?"

"Ugh, fine," Jake playfully lamented and put the blanket over her lap and the puppets. They of course protested to being covered and squirmed out from under it. Blade hissed and had to have his fedora placed back on his head by Six Shooter. "They've been waiting patiently for you to get home. And by patiently I mean making me check my phone every two seconds and wandering over to the door about sixty million times. I just barely got done coaxing Jester off of the kitchen windowsill, the little creeper." This earned him a half-hearted and tiny punch to the back of one of his hands.

Rajiya smiled warmly at the puppets as Jester snuggled up against her side. "I missed them too. I'm glad to be home." She kicked her shoes off onto the floor and took her necklace off, tossing it onto the coffee table with a loud *clang*. "Let's hit the crunk juice and watch a fucked up horror movie on Netflix."

"I already have V/H/S waiting for you, I know the routine." Jake picked up the remote from the arm of the couch and put the movie on. He clinked his glass lightly against Rajiya's and nodded towards the framed picture of Alexandra and Robert that sat on the mantle beside a vase of orchids. "To Family."

Rajiya took a swig to extinguish the burning sensation in her stomach that she felt when remembering Jeremiah's news. "To Family, indeed," she added, squeezing the puppets closer to her and kissing her best friend.

To Family...

Long after the credits on the third movie that night rolled and the empty bottle of expensive vodka sat discarded on an end table, the puppets found themselves trying to wake their Mistress and Jake to get them to go sleep in their beds. But to no avail; both were intoxicated and had passed out halfway through the last movie. After situating the blankets on the humans they wandered over to the bay window to look outside and talk amongst themselves.

_"Judging by the way things went tonight, I'd say Jeremiah's Talk was not a very welcome one,"_ Six Shooter said, not bothering to whisper since Rajiya and Jake were well past the point of being woken up.

_"I'd say not,"_ Pinhead agreed as he fluffed one of the large pillows and laid back against it. _"We'll find out tomorrow."_

_"I don't want Raj to be upset,"_ Jester pouted, his face expressing his sadness. _"I don't mind when she drinks for fun but this time she wasn't happy."_

_"Stay strong, everyone,"_ Blade reminded them gently. _"No matter what it is, we are here for Jeremiah and Raj both. That is of the utmost importance. They know this."_

_"To Family, right?"_ Jester said, his tone brightening. Blade patted his shoulder with the back of his hook.

_"No matter what."_

**So there you have it, more story development. Not very exciting, but then again I plan on dragging this thing out pretty far. You'll get your puppets, and lots of them!**

**And also, the places I mention in this story are indeed real. Yoshi's, Infinity Condominiums, etc. I have been to these places myself and my experiences help me bring detail to the story. You can see them for yourselves, via the Internet. Isn't it grand? Google that shit if you want more visual to locations.**

**So long for now 3**


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